VISIT Florida president leaves to head up fed's new tourism org

Chris Thompson, the president and CEO of VISIT Florida, was on Thursday named
president and CEO of Brand USA, a public-private partnership recently created
to support the nation’s travel industry.

Thompson, who oversaw the expansion of VISIT Florida during the last three years, will join the federal government’s version of Florida’s public-private
tourism promotion arm.

“I congratulate Chris on this exciting opportunity to
replicate at the national level the successes he has achieved at VISIT FLORIDA,”
VISIT Florida
board chairman Glenn Hastings wrote on the organization’s blog.
“In the past three years, Chris has proven he has the vision, passion and
commitment to build and lead a world-class organization that will increase the
economic impact of international visitors to the United States.”

President Obama signed the bipartisan-supported
Travel Promotion Act in 2010, creating the Brand USA program. The program will
spend $200 million annually to promote the US to potential travelers overseas.
It is funded by fees charged to international travelers to the US, and private
sector contributions.

Florida,
which has seen tourism levels reach new highs in recent years tied to
increasing international interest, could benefit from having Thompson at the
helm of the national tourism group.

The group will be sending Thompson and other officials
across the globe to promote tourism to the U.S.

With Thompson set to leave VISIT Florida—which saw its state funding boosted
to $54 million—the state-run organization will be meeting Friday morning to begin a
plan for replacing him.